REVIEW: The Falconer

The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May

18-year old Lady Aileana Kameron is so much more than the daughter of the Marquess of Douglas. It's 1844 and nearly every day Aileana wishes she could return to her former life where dresses, dances and the trappings of her privileged life meant something to her. But, since the bloody death of her own mother, her life has become something she never expected. She is still beautiful. She still has wealth and a title. But now she is a hunter, tracking down and murdering the faery creatures who roam the night with the intent to murder humans. She is a Falconer, the last in a long line of female warriors who hunt and kill the fae. But, they also hunt her.....

The Falconer is book 1 in the Falconer trilogy. The third, and final, book is set for publication in June 2017.

I enjoyed this fun, YA steampunk adventure. It wasn't anything new plot-wise, following an established YA trope: plucky, female character must battle evil to save the world and learns to fight while battling her inner confusion over whether she should love the bad boy or her childhood friend. But despite following an established basic plot, I still found myself enjoying the story. I liked Aileana as a main character. She was feisty and fun, not caring that her night battles with the fae had the local aristocracy thinking she was up to unladylike activities. Except for it angering her father and making him decide she needs to marry, and forcing her mother to lecture her on how ladies behave at social events, Alieana really doesn't care what anyone thinks. And, she has a love-hate relationship with the faery who helps train her. She is attracted to him, but she doesn't trust him and at times proved that he did not have control over her. Plus the mix of 1840s Edinburgh and steampunk was just enchanting. The main plot wasn't overshadowed by cheesy romance or overdone steampunk. It was a nice blend, well-written and without the tendency to become overly romantic childish fantasy that some similar YA books fall into. I did have to smile a bit that the main character is not only stunningly beautiful but also from a wealthy family -- poor, plain girls are never entrusted with saving the world. :o)

The Falconer is an enjoyable, light steampunk adventure. I will definitely read the rest of this trilogy. Don't expect anything really new....or complex....but it is a very enjoyable read!

This was Elizabeth May's first book. I'm very interested to see how her characters and writing matured as she continued this series. For more information on the author and the Falconer trilogy, check out her website at http://www.elizabethmaywrites.com/